Zone Sign #3
Time Distortion
When you are fully in the Zone your sense of time changes dramatically.
It will feel like your brain is working way faster than usual or everything around you is dramatically slowed down.
Have you ever made a swing where it felt like the swing took forever and you had all the time in the world to make subtle adjustments during the swing... if you wanted to?
Jack Nicklaus said when he was playing his best golf... he was able to make subtle swing adjustments right before impact.
If you haven't ever been deep in the Zone this might seem impossible.
Impossible like Neo stopping a bullet in the Matrix. 🙂
But there is scientific data that backs this up the distortion of time when you are in the Zone.
Maybe not quite enough time distortion to stop bullets whenever you want though. :-)
Research has found that the part of your brain that tracks time... completely shuts down when you are in the Zone.
This state is called Hypofrontality.
When you are deep in the Zone the pre frontal cortex of your brain completely shuts down and your perception of time completely changes.
This is also the part of your brain responsible for conscious thought.
Which is why letting go of conscious thoughts is one of the Triggers for getting into the Zone.
Sometimes knowing the opposite of the concept you are trying to learn can help put the concept in clearer context.
The opposite of the "Zone" is the "fight, flight or freeze" state.
It could also be called panic mode.
When you are in "fight, flight or freeze" your brain feels like it is going very slowly and everything around you feels like it is in super fast motion.
Lots of thoughts, lots of emotions and everything around you is just going way too fast.
Sometimes this excess stimulation causes you to just freeze.
This state and these feelings are the opposite of the Zone.
How does knowing this help you play better golf?
Simple.
When you strive to activate the Zone Triggers during practice:
One Clear Goal
Fully Engaged Focus
Heightened Senses
No Thoughts
No Emotions
Process not Results
You will begin to notice the Zone Sign of time distortion happening more often.
Remember the Signs are what you notice as you're getting closer to being in the zone.
Think of them like road signs... letting you know you are getting closer to your destination.
The Triggers are what you are doing in the car to help get you to that destination.
If you Focus on executing the Triggers while you're driving the car you will notice the Signs as you get closer and closer to getting into the Zone.
Make sure to check back for the next post when we talk about effortless power as opposed to powerless effort!
